"As we pass the one month anniversary of the general availability of Windows 8, we are pleased to announce that to-date Microsoft has sold 40 million Windows 8 licenses. Tami Reller shared this news with industry and financial analysts, investors and media today at the Credit Suisse 2012 Annual Technology Conference. Windows 8 is outpacing Windows 7 in terms of upgrades." Not bad, but there are the usual asterisks, as Ars notes.

exactly. I don't think most people or even finantial analysts realized that Microsoft has just halved or more, their Windows revenues just to slightly keep up adoption rhythm.

Windows8 is being sold in a larger market than 2009 Windows7 launch, and at less than half of its price and at best it gets the same number of sales of Windows 7 in the first months. I don't think this is particularly brilliant or a good omen.

TBH I suspect this might be because they are the victim of their own success.

Windows 7 as a Desktop operating system is pretty damn solid and I am pretty sure it is going to be the next Windows XP. TBH, while I am using 8 at home, apart from the Metro UI ... it is very similar on the desktop.